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Thursday, October 06, 2005

Harry oh Harry (Thursday Potter'ing)

Goblet of Fire TV spots releasedhttp://mugglenet.com/EDITOR'S NOTE: THERE ARE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT VIEWING FORMATS TO CHOOSE FROM. GO TO THE MUGGLENET WEBSITE AND PICK YOUR PLEASURE.

Vicar in trouble for calling Harry Potter gayLONDON -- A British cleric and top-selling author of children's books was thrown out of a school where he said Harry Potter was gay during a talk to 12-year-olds. EDITOR'S NOTE: AND FICTIONAL. DID ANYONE TELL HIM, HARRY IS FICTIONAL?

Reverend Graham Taylor, who penned the novel "Shadowmancer" which, like the tales of the famous boy wizard created by J.K. Rowling, centers on witchcraft and battling evil, got his marching orders after teachers accused him of homophobia. EDITOR'S NOTE: ANOTHER POSSIBILITY....STUPIDITY. REV TAYLOR MIGHT JUST BE TOO DUMB TO BE HOMOPHOBIC.

"As for Harry Potter, well, he's not the only gay in the village," Taylor told children at Penair School in Truro, southwest England, referring to a catchphrase from the popular British comedy TV show, "Little Britain."

He also said villains in Rowling's blockbuster series were "wimps" and called TV "crap" compared to books. EDITOR'S NOTE: I'M BETTING TV IS AN IMPROVEMENT ON REVEREND TAYLOR'S BOOKS?

Teachers stopped Taylor's talk and asked him to leave.

"We were very disappointed to have to curtail a visit from Mr Taylor," the school said in a statement on Thursday.

Taylor, whose book topped the British book charts for 15 weeks with the film rights also sold for 2.25 million pounds, was unrepentant and accused staff of censorship.

"It was a joke; a joke from 'Little Britain' that the children would know," Taylor was quoted as saying by newspapers. "I didn't set out to offend. I'm a priest and I'm very careful about not offending people." EDITOR'S NOTE: MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO CUT BACK ON THE COMMUNION WINE. JUST TILL YOU GET YOUR BEARINGS AGAIN?

Agent Christopher Little said the series reached the milestone following the publication of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth volume about the schoolboy wizard.

As of September, "Half-Blood Prince" had sold 11 million copies in the United States, according to publisher Scholastic, Inc. Potter books have now been translated into 63 languages, most recently Farsi

Emma Watson on cover of Teen VogueEDITOR'S NOTE: HERE YA GO, MISS SAMANTHA!The November 2005 issue has the Hermione Granger actress from the Potter films on the front cover. In the story, she talks about fashion and also the filming of Goblet of Fire.

Goblet of Fire Trailer RevistedWritten by Laura ThompsonNot one die-hard Harry Potter fan can say they didn't squeal with excitement upon the release of the theatrical trailer for Goblet of Fire, whether they were impressed or not. EDITOR'S NOTE: OK. I ADMIT IT. I SQUEALED. TWICE. With about a month and a half left until show time, the online Potter communities have been buzzing with a non-stop fervor reminiscent of students welcoming a long-awaited summer vacation.

One question many fans, myself included, often pose before the release of each Potter movie is, are we expecting too much?

Mike Newell, director of one of the only movies I own, Four Weddings and a Funeral, is known for his light, quirky sense of humor. Despite the increasingly darker tones we've seen in the teaser and theatrical trailers, many fans remain ambiguous as to whether or not Newell has maintained the ominous themes book four provided us with.

However, the Potter universe is by no means running short on optimistic devotees; an overwhelming majority of fans are excited at the prospect of the first ever British director taking over the reins of the fourth installment weaving the tale of our favorite boy wizard.

The footage and pictures we've seen thus far have led to little or no complaint from the swelling fan base: the gorgeous, misty mountain scenery and rocky hills continued on from Prisoner of Azkaban are nothing short of eye candy, and the special effects (that dragon!) will most likely land Goblet of Fire a nomination at this year's Academy Awards.

It's the little things, it seems, that have canon fans all a twitter: dress robes, the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang schools being portrayed as all-girl and all-boy academies, and Sirius Black's shortened appearance.

All book-to-movie changes aside, one can't deny that with each movie the acting skills of the trio have improved immensely, which provides the expectation of an even more polished performance this time around.

Every discussion we, as fans, hold concerning Goblet of Fire always leads back to our sincere hope that the movie will do the book justice. After all, it's only natural to wonder how on earth Newell and the producers of the films have managed to condense a book containing over seven hundred pages into a movie less than three hours long.

When that magical day arrives, this staffer will be outside her local theater with hundreds of other anxious fans. Until then, only one thing to do: speculate! EDITOR'S NOTE: JUST A LITTLE MORE THAN A MONTH TO GO!